Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-11-17
Rev, DR.. FriersOn on Prohibition.
From. the Christian Obseryor.

From the Christian Obseruor.
Have ministers OF the Gospel and
their churches. as such, any right to
advocate prohibition?
Let US study thatquestion moment.
Prohibition 10 a political issue. 1t is
not only in the agencies by which 1t is
actively promoted, but in the very
meaning OF its terms.
It proposes to prohibit, and that
means to employ governmental power.
None but God and the powers hath or
dained for that purpose can use the
sword, the implement of Government
The minister Is employed especially
to use the powerof persuasion ,entreaty
and prayer. He is forbidden by the
very condition of his office to lay hold
of any other weapon.
When he breaches prohibition he
forsakes his own legitimate weapons
and ruins his own cause. He destroys
that perfectly free option to which he
must always make an appeal. He puts
himself and HE ministry in the absurd
position of appealing to the moral
nature at the moment that he Is advo-
eating compulsion. Why should he
persuade at all IL he can get law to
compel? By the very terms of his
commission he is commanded to 90 out
into the "high-ways and hedges" to
the poor and the MANNED, the saloonist
and drunkard, and compel" them to
come in in by persuasion snd entreaty.
1t Is pleaded that the makers and
sellers of whiskey are "hard cases."
and that 1t is against them that pro-
hibition Is especially directed. But
does not the minister's commission. In
the very term compel" require him
TO redouble his energies of persuasion
Ola hard cases? Does 1t allow him to
select the easy cases and remit all hard
cases to the law? Can he afford to
admit, with such q commission as he
has, and the promise of infinite power
to sucoor him, that there are any for
lorn cases in the world?
The minister who openly advocate
prohibition forecloses his influence over
q large class of men to whom he has
been sent. What becomes of the power
of the pulpit over them when 1t is
known TO have abandoned them to
law?
1t is precisely this neglect of "hard
cases." and a readiness to abandon
them to law, that is filling the cities of
the United States with depraved pop
ulation, and making the drunkenness
at which the country is alarmed.
The very idea of demagogue riding
into power on the back OF minister of
religion is in the last degree humilia-
ting.
But those who can throw down the
weapons which God has given them
from heaven and go to snpplicating
Cesar to help them against inteEp per-
ance, deserve TO be ridden by dema-
gOxues.
But it is a still more serious thing
than this for the pulpit to advocate
prohibition. 1t is q shameful confess
sion that the Gospel ministry and the
Church cannot overtake the evils of
intemperance, and that the Church
must appeal to the State for help. No
confession could be SO dreadfully un-
worthy of the Church and her minis
try or insulting to God. Will God help
those who disown his aid, and seek
help elsew here? Will he help them in
their attempt to inaugurate an alliance
between the Church and State-an al
lance which dIshonors him aud de-
grades his cauee? For It is bargain,
advaloren1, in which the church offers
suffrage to the state to carry its poIiti-
cal measures, and the state offers sober
citizens to the church TO carry ifs
ecclesiastical measures. The ass on
which Balaam rode refused 10 go upan
an erran.i in which the church offered
counsel to the state, and the state 0ner-
ed money to the church, and the An
gel of the Lord stands with drawn
sword against it to-day.
Mr.. Editor, what MAX 90 the advance
of intemperance and crime . new ana
startling fact at the present time more
than since the flood? MAY u nos be |